Striking apparatus for clocks.



No. 655,80l, Patnted Aug. l4, moo.

R. J. nunn.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR CLOCKS.

(Application filed May 26, 1900.)

(No Model.) I 4 Sheets-Sheet No. 655,80l. Patented Aug. l4, I900. R. J. RUDD.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR CLOCKS.

(Application filed May 26, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

No. 655,80l. Patented Aug. [4, I900.

R. J. RUDD.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR CLOCKS.

(Application filed May 26, 1 900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

N0. 655,8Ul. Patented Aug. l4, I900.

R. J. RUDD.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR CLOCKS.

' (Application filed May 26, 1900.)

-4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

No Model.)

ITED STATES PATENT Orrin.

ROBERT JAMES RUDD, OF CROYDON, E-NGLAND.

STRIKING APPARATUS FOR CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 655,801, dated August 14, 1900.

Application filed May 26, 1900. Serial No. 18,137. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT JAMES RUDD, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain,residing at 7 8 Sydenham Road North, Oroydon, in the county of Surrey, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Connected with Chiming, Ringing, or Striking Apparatus more Especially Applicable to Clocks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the drawings hereunto annexed and to the letters marked thereon.

The invention relates to improvements in or connected with chiming, ringing, or striking apparatus more especially applicable to clocks; and the primary object of the inven tion is to provide a simple arrangement of mechanism whereby the hammers will after having been discharged be automatically restored to their normal positions in readiness for the next operation.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an apparatus constructed according to the present invention and showing the-same in its cocked position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the apparatus in its discharged position. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the employment of a keyboard for discharging the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a similar View to Fig. l, but representing a modification, the apparatus being shown in its cocked position. Fig. 5 is a similar View of parts, but showing the apparatus in its discharged position. Fig. 6 is a similar view to Fig. 4 of parts illustrating a modified form of guide for the snail or cam.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a represents a bell. 19 represents a hammer or striker which sounds the bell. 19 represents the ham-merlever. 5 represents the axis of the hammerlever. b represents a wire or its equivalent, by the aid of which motion is communicated to the hammerlever, and f represents a toothed wheel, which is mounted upon an axis f and continuously driven in any suitable manner, as is well understood.

In carrying the present invention into effeet the hammer-wire b or its equivalent is, through a loop I), connected to the long arm of a lever c, unequally mounted upon an axis of motion 0, and the short arm of said lever is furnished with a counterweight 0 or it might be a spring, by the aid of which the long arm of the lever c is raised at the times desired.

The long arm of the lever c is required to be depressed in order to raise or cock the hammer or striker b of the bell a, and it is at its end provided with a steel or other tooth c beveled or rounded on its under side, which encounters the beveled or rounded end of a hook-like detent cl, which is mounted upon an axis of motion d and normally kept up to a stop d by a spring d and the lever o is thus held with the hammer b in its raised or cooked position, as shown in Fig. 1, until it is released, when the hammer Z7 will be discharged, as represented at Fig. 2, and caused to sound the bell a. In order to automatically depress the lever c after its discharge, and thus again raise the hammer Z) into its cocked position, a toothed snail or cam c is mounted upon an axis of motion 0 carried by the lever c, and in the same vertical plane is arranged a toothed Wheel f, which is mounted upon an axis of motion f and continuously driven in the direction of the arrow by a clock-movement or other means, and this driven wheel f in the raised position of the lever c is engaged by the toothed snail 0 as indicated in Fig. 2, with the result that the snail c is rotated, and by reason of the illcreasing diameter thereof the lever c is depressed until its tooth c engages the detent cl, as hereinbefore described, thereby cooking the hammer b.

When the toothed snail c has performed its function, it is possible that in the absence of some controlling means it might, owing to its momentum, assisted by gravity, swing around its axis 0 and come forcibly into engagement with the driven wheelfand strip some of its teeth or interfere with the proper working of the hammer b; but in order to prevent this a brake is employed, consisting of a weighted lever 0 which is mounted upon an axis of motion 0 carried by the main lever c, and as said lever c descends into the depressed position falls forward by gravity into a position. to engage the toothed snail c at its extreme tail or largest diameter, as indicated'in Fig. 1, and thus hold it in the required position to enable the smallest diameter of the snail c to come correctly into engagement with the driven wheel f, as indicated at Fig. 2, upon the release of the main lever c by the detent (Z. In order to release the snail c from the brakedever c immediately before said engagement, the brake-lever is provided with a tail c, which in the rise of the lever 0 comes against a stop g, the main office of which is to prevent the main lever a rising beyond a given point at which the snail c correctly engages the driven wheel f, and the brake-lever c is thus tripped and held out of the way of the snail 0 until the main lever c is again depressed.

The device represented in the drawings for periodically tripping the detent (Z and releasing or discharging the lever 0 consists of a barrel 1;, mounted upon a shaft or axis of motion '1 receiving rotary motion in the wellknown manner and provided with a pin or stud 1 which in the revolution of the barrel 'i in the direction of the arrow acts upon the tail d of the detent d and trips it in the required manner, and when a number of bells a, hammers l), levers e, and coaeting parts arranged in different vertical planes are employed, as would be the case in a chiming apparatus, the pins or studs would similarly be arranged on the barrel i in different vertieal planes and in the positions required to trip the several detents d in the desired order, all of which is well known and understood in connection with chiming apparatus.

It will be obvious that in lieu of the pin or tune barreliother well-known means of tripping the detent (I might be employed and such, for example, as akeyboard to be operated by hand, so that the hammers I) could be discharged in any order selected at the moment and chimes or tunes virtually played by hand. In the example given at Fig. 3 a diagrammatic view of such an arrangement is shown and which consists of a key-lever t, mounted upon an axis of motion 1', like a piano-key, and provided with a nose or projection 11 which upon the depression of the keyt'acts upon the tail d of the detent d.

In the example given at Figs. 4- and 5 the driven wheelfinstead of being placed above the main lever cis arranged below the same, and the toothed snail or cam 0 instead of being directly mounted upon the main lever c is carried by a crank or offset 0*, projecting downwardly therefrom, and the brake c is dispensed with. In this case the toothed snail or cam cconsists of a segment of a circle ec-\ centrically mounted upon the axis 0 carried by the crank or offset 0* and on the discharge of the lever c from the detent (Z is carried into engagement with the driven wheelf. In order, however, to prevent the toothed snail or cam c after it has depressed or cooked the lever 0 from accidentally coming into engagement with the driven wheelf until the required time and also to hold it positively in gear with said wheel when in action, the following arrangement of parts is employed: Axially of the snail or cam c and formed or fixed therewith is arranged a heartshaped cam 0 and in connection therewith is employed a guide or shoej, carried by an army", mounted upon an axis at] and held up to the cam c by a spring f, a set-screwy" being employed to adjust the guide or shoej with relation to said cam. In the cocked position of the lever c the shoej engages the cam c just after the snail c" has done its work and left the driven wheelfand retains it in the position indicated at Fig. a out of engagement with said wheel; but upon the discharge of the lever c from the detent d the cam 0 moves slightly away from the guide or shoey' and permits the snail or cam c to swing around by gravity, with the cam c slightly in engagement with the shoe or guide j, which acts as a brake to check the undue momentum of the snail e and to cause it to come gently into engagement with the driven wheel f, and which position of the parts is represented in Fig. 5, while the springj" permits the parts to slightly separate in the event of their being subjected to a shock or obstruction, thus avoiding possible breakage. As the snail or cam c is carried around by the driven wheel f the heel of the shoe or guide j, by running against or by reason of its close proximity to the cam e effectually prevents the possibility of the snail o coming out of engagement with the driven wheel f, thus rendering the action of the apparatus positive.

In the example given at Fig. 6 the parts are substantially the same as those represented in the previous figure, except that in lieu of the arm 3" a bracket j is employed and instead of the guide or shoej a truck or rollerj, carried by said arm, is provided to act in conjunction with the cam a; but the action of the device is similar to that hereinbefore described with respect to Figs. 4; and 5.

By the means hereinbefore described a simple and inexpensive apparatus is obtained by the aid of which the hammers after having been discharged will be automatically restored to their normal or cooked positions and which by reason of its simplicity is not liable to become disarranged.

Having now particularly described and as certained the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is-- 1. A striking ringing or chiming apparatus comprising a main lever connected with the hammer or striker of the bell, means for raising the lever, a toothed snail or cam mounted upon an axis of motion carried by the main lever a constanily-driven toothed wheel arranged adjacent to the snail and adapted to engage the snail or cam and by the increasing diameter or radius of the latter depress the lever and cock the hammer, a detent for holding the main lever in its depressed position and means for tripping the detent and discharging the main lever and hammer substantially as herein shown and described.

2. Astriking ringing or chiming apparatus comprising a main lever connected with the hammer or striker of the bell means for raising the lever a toothed snail or cam mounted upon an axis of motion carried by the main lever, a constantlydriven toothed Wheel arranged adjacent to the snail and adapted to engage the same and by the increasing diameter or radius of the latter de press the lever and cook the hammer a detent for holding the main lever in its depressed position, means for engaging or guiding the snail as it leaves the driven wheel and holding it in correct position for that part adjacent to its axis to engage the driven wheel on the discharge and rise of the main lever and means for tripping the detent and discharging the main lever and hammer substantially as herein shown and described.

3. A striking ringing or chiming apparatus comprising a main lever connected with the hammer or striker of the bell, means for raising the lever, a toothed snail or cam mounted upon an axis of motion carried by the main lever, a constantly-driven toothed wheel arranged adjacent to the snail or cam and adapted to engage the same and by the increasing diameter or radius of the latter depress the main lever and cook the hammer, a detent for holding the main lever in its depressed position, a weighted brake-lever mounted upon an axis carried by the main lever for engaging the snail as it leaves the driven wheel and holding it in correct position for that part adjacent to its axis to en= gage the driven Wheel on the discharge and rise of the main lever, a stop for limiting the upward movement of the main lever, a tail to the brake-lever for engaging said stop and releasing the snail at the times required and means for tripping the detent and discharging the main lever and hammer substantially as herein shown and described.

ROBERT JAMES RUDD.

Witnesses:

G. MELBOURNE WHITE, 0. H. WHITE. 

